by Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY

by Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY

As we look over the winners and losers of last year's auto sales, one rivalry always stands out: Chevrolet Camaro vs. Ford Mustang.

And for another year, Camaro beat Mustang when it came to sales. But this year, it was close -- too close for comfort, if you're a General Motors executive.

Chevy sold 84,391 Camaros last year, only 1,396 more than Mustang. The previous year, the gap was more than 17,000 between the two rivals.

What happened? Ford added new engine last year to Mustang that made them, basically, the hottest thing on the street. Plus, it put other little touches -- features in the car such as spotlights under the doors.

Camaro pretty much remained the same.

Ford increased sales of Mustang last year by 17.8%, while Chevrolet saw an erosion in Camaro's sales of 4.4%.